UCC minister Lillian Daniel writes, "In my church, the Passing of the Peace" moved from a frozen affair between two people to 10 minutes of chaos in which people wandered the sanctuary greeting others. A new member confessed that it was actually his loneliest moment in the entire service. As others warmly greeted those they already knew, his few stiff greetings left him aware that he was not yet included."
As a single person myself, I often find it a lonely experience to be a church visitor. I once had a string of eight consecutive church visits without anyone speaking to me. From what I can tell, this is a common experience. Everyone should be a greeter, but few are. If a visitor experiences loneliness in your church once, he or she will not return for a repeat performance.
For just this reason, I always invite people to "greet those around you with the peace of the day", and sometimes "be sure to introduce yourself to anyone you don't know already".
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